--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It would be wonderful to have a guru; it…" description: "\"It would be wonderful to have a guru; it would be like having a social worker or a personal trainer, not that people who had either of these necessaril..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_it-would-be-wonderful-to-have-a-guru-it_1680179.png" --- # It would be wonderful to have a guru; it would be like… ![“It would be wonderful to have a guru; it would be like having a social worker or a personal trainer, not that people who had either of these necessarily appreciated the advice they received.” quote by Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_it-would-be-wonderful-to-have-a-guru-it_1680179.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_it-would-be-wonderful-to-have-a-guru-it_1680179.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/alexander-mccall-smith-372_advice_it-would-be-wonderful-to-have-a-guru-it_1680179.png) > “It would be wonderful to have a guru; it would be like having a social worker or a personal trainer, not that people who had either of these necessarily appreciated the advice they received.” [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A guru can be as helpful as a social worker or trainer, but people may not value the advice they receive. **In simple terms:** Helpful mentors may be ignored. Key Takeaway Seek advice you trust. Themes guidance value relationships Mood thoughtful neutral Type advice reflection When to use this quote - personal growth - career advice - health coaching Key Concepts mentor dynamics appreciation Questions to Reflect On - Do you value the advice you receive - How can you ensure advice is appreciated? A Different Perspective Advice is useless if not respected. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Guru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guru/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Personal Trainer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-trainer/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social worker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-worker/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [People that have been around me, people that have been here since day one with me, my coach Eric Trainer - even with -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovince-saint-preux/people-that-have-been-around-me-people-that-have-been-here-since-day/) [Ovince Saint Preux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovince-saint-preux/) > [Even if you do so that knowledge of the guru. He is like a disciple of Guru' duty of honor now. even if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/even-if-you-do-so-that-knowledge-of-the-guru-he-is-like-a-disciple-of/) Mak\_786 > [There is no guru like our own mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilaiyaraaja/there-is-no-guru-like-our-own-mistakes/) [Ilaiyaraaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilaiyaraaja/) > [The grace of the Guru is like an ocean. If one comes with a cup he will only get a cupful. It is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/the-grace-of-the-guru-is-like-an-ocean-if-one-comes-with-a-cup-he/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [Guru's like Tupac. He just records and records and records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/guru-s-like-tupac-he-just-records-and-records-and-records/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [A guru is like a live road map. 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After I graduated with my masters I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-algieri/i-was-a-full-time-student-either-at-stony-brook-or-nyu-getting-my/) [Chris Algieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-algieri/) ## More by Alexander McCall Smith > [“old-fashioned, gentle Scottish physician, unmoved by the considerations of profit and personal gain that could so disfigure medicine. That doctors should consider themselves businessmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/old-fashioned-gentle-scottish-physician-unmoved-by-the-considerations/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“She had not made a lot of money, but she had not made a loss, and she had been happy and entertained. That counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/she-had-not-made-a-lot-of-money-but-she-had-not-made-a-loss-and-she/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“To use strong language, she thought, was a sign of bad temper and lack of concern for others. Such people were not clever or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/to-use-strong-language-she-thought-was-a-sign-of-bad-temper-and-lack/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Men are very sensitive, Mma Makutsi. You would not always think it to look at them, but they are. 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"If there's bad behaviour, the quickest way of stopping it is to give more love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-if-there-s-bad-behaviour-mma-potokwane-went-on-if-there-s-bad/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“We never realise how transparent we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/we-never-realise-how-transparent-we-are/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“Has he not got a wife back wherever he comes from? 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And once it's gone, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/time-is-priceless-you-have-it-but-you-don-t-own-it-you-spend-it-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't need to take a persons advice to make him feel good, just ask him for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/you-don-t-need-to-take-a-persons-advice-to-make-him-feel-good-just/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [“If your clothes are enough to drive would-be friends away, they're not the kind of friends you want." Typical mother advice. 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